The debt ceiling was raised on seven occasions during President George W. Bush's two terms in office, from $5.95 trillion in 2001 to nearly double that, $11.315 trillion, in 2009 - an increase of $5.365 trillion or 90 percent.

Under Bush the debt ceiling increased:

by $450 billion to $6.4 trillion in June 2002; by $984 billion to $7.384 trillion 11 months later, in May 2003; by $800 billion to $8.184 trillion 18 months later, in November 2004; by $781 billion to $8.965 trillion 16 months later, in March 2006; by $850 billion to $9.815 trillion 18 months later, in September 2007; by $800 billion to $10.615 trillion 10 months later, in July 2008; and by $700 billion to $11.315 trillion three months later, in October 2008.